"Because there aren't enough 3D file formats already"
bvh+obj is a file format for describing characters and their animations. As the name suggests, it relies heavily on the bvh and obj file formats with a bit extra.
It was designed to fit a specific need in a specific problem, and thus is not universally aplicable. Don't use it if you don't want to.
I am not the best person to be writing Blender scripts (not being a graphic designer at all), and so it is probable that my script is horrible and doesn't work in many cases. If you edit it, please submit a pull request.
The file is split into two parts: the bvh section and the obj section. Each is slightly modified however.
- Modifications to the
bvhsection
In the bvh section a line will follow the MOTION line of the form
Action Count: NUMBER_OF_ACTIONS
where NUMBER_OF_ACTIONS is the number of motion blocks to follow. Each follows the same format as the usual bvh (a string of space separated values for the parameters detailed in the HIERACHY section, with the addition of a line
Name: ACTION_NAME
before the frame count. This name is arbitrary.
- Modifications to the
objsection
The major change in the obj section is a new command. It is of the form
vg BONE_NAME COUNT V_1/W_1 V_2/W_2 ... V_COUNT/W_COUNT
where BONE_NAME is the name of some joint defined in the bvh section, COUNT is the number of succeding pairs, and each of the V_i/W_i represent a vertex and its weight to that joint.
The weights should be complete, ie the sum of all the weights associated with some vertex should be very close to 1.
- Check the exporter extensively
- Write an importer